By Jaclyn Abergas
Did you make a vow that you really want to make positive changes to your body and your diet and you really want to make it happen this time? Do you want to know how to start so you can apply small changes to your lifestyle that will eventually become a habit?
My friends, it is totally doable. You just have to want it. Here are some tips on how to start.
1. Meditate or pray on what makes you want to eat a plant-based diet. Write it down and post it where you can see it every day and commit to it.
Most of the time people fail with their mission because they failed to define their reasons for doing it. Are you doing it because you don’t want to get diagnosed with cancer at a young age? Are you doing it because you want to keep up with your kids or your very active spouse? Are you doing it because you made a vow to go hiking or trekking every weekend to distress? Are you doing it because you really cannot stand to eat animal products anymore?
Find out what your reason is, the reason that will get you to stick to it. If your reason is only to fit into your clothes, or have a sexy bikini body by the summer, dig deeper. What makes achieving these objectives so important to you? Dig deep and you’ll find out what makes eating healthier really important to you. Ask questions again and again to dig deeper.
2. Drink green smoothies in the morning.
Personally, this was the main reason I was able to stick to a healthier plant-based diet. Knowing I was drinking something so clean first thing in the morning kept me motivated to “stay clean” the rest of the day. Start simple. Blend a handful of kangkong leaves, bananas, and pineapple with water to start. If the thought of drinking greens is something you need to get used to, add more fruits to make it really palatable.
Visit http://www.thesuperfoodgrocer.com for more green smoothie recipes.
3. Always look for the vegetable option first and eat your fruits and vegetables first.
When eating out, always look at the vegetable section first. What can you have? Are there vegetable dishes or salads? If there are, are they completely plant-based with no animal products? Can the animal products be removed? Ask the server or manager nicely.
If you’re not yet ready to let go of animal products, make sure your plate is half full of produce and only a fourth of the plate is filled with animal products. Animal products are acidic and regular intake can lead to a bigger chance of getting diagnosed with chronic diseases.
4. Always bring food to save you when hungry. Bring trail mix or fruits.
One of the reasons we give in to temptation is because we’re hungry with no food at hand. So we tend to turn to the convenient options. Most of the time, those are the processed food products found in vending machines or convenience stores. Best to keep a container of trail mix or a jar of nut butter in your desk. You can always buy bread at the bakery for your nut butter, or if you really don’t have options, you can buy fresh fruits at the convenience store.
5. Get a support buddy or group. Better yet, get a mentor.
It’s challenging to eat healthier in this world and it’s even more challenging to do it alone. Invite your friends or co-workers to do the challenge with you and hold yourselves accountable.Make it fun by bringing food you can share with each other. Whatever you do, don’t make each other feel bad for slipping up. We’re only human. We make mistakes. The important thing to do is to learn from that mistake. You can also get a mentor. There are groups online who will help you and set you up with a mentor to encourage and support you. Send a message to Vegans of Manila on Facebook and Instagram to get you hooked up with a mentor.
6. Look for vegan and plant-based recipes online to help you.
For the entire month of January, Vegans of Manila is posting different vegan recipes on their social media accounts. You can also check out AstigVegan.com for Filipino vegan recipes, as well as do a search on Pinterest for different vegan recipes you can make for yourself, or share with your family, your friends, and your co-workers. There are loads of recipes online. You just have to look for what might work for you and try it.
Nothing is really impossible, especially since when you read the phrase differently, it reads “I’m possible.” Eating healthier and sticking to it can be done because so many people have done it and are still doing it. And always remember if it gets harder or more challenging, ask for help. You don’t need to do it alone. There will always be someone who wants to help you or wants to do it with you.
For more tips on how to survive living as a vegan or living a plant-based diet in Manila, check out Facebook/vegansofmanila or Instagram/@vegansofmanila for tips on vegan and plant-based recipes, where to get vegan supplies, where to eat, how to eat vegan at non-vegan restaurants, and how to thrive despite being surrounded by non-healthy eaters.